PRESENT SIMPLE vs PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE AND PRESENT CONTINUOUS

PRESENT SIMPLE

Affirmative	I/you /we / they He/ she/ it		learn learns
Negative	I/you /we / they He/ she/ it	Do not/ don’t Does not / doesn’t	learn learn
Interrogative	Do (Wh-)                 Does	I/you /we / they   He/ she/ it	learn?   earn?
Time expressions: always, frequently, usually, sometimes, rarely, hardly ever, never, once a month/a week/a year, every day. In the morning/ afternoon/ evening, at night

 

SPELLING RULES FOR THE THIRD PERSON SINGULAR
With verbs ending in –o, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, add -ES	Go Pass Finish Reach Mix buzz	Goes Passes Finishes Reaches Mixes buzzes
With verbs ending in –y preceded by a vowel, add -S	Stay Play	Stays Plays
With verbs ending in –y preceded by a consonant, change the Y to I and add -ES	Study Try cry	Studies Tries Cries

 

USES

v  To talk about habits and routines: I have a shower every day

v  To talk about facts and general truths: It is very cold in the Antarctic

v  To describe permanent situations: She goes to college in Madrid

v  Fixed arrangements, scheduled events (e.g. timetables): The plane flies to London every Monday

 FREQUENCY ADVERBS Indican la frecuencia (alta, media o baja), pero NO el número de veces, con la que se hace una acción. Ejemplo: ―yo voy al cine a menudo‖

Never  Nunca Seldom/ Rarely hardly ever  Apenas / Casi nunca

 

Sometimes A veces

Often A menudo

Usually/Normally Usualmente / normalmente

 

Always Siempre

Se ponen DETRÁS del sujeto y JUSTO DELANTE del verbo*

      Ejemplo: Do you always buy milk? I sometimes buy milk *

 Excepción: Se ponen DETRÁS del TO BE

     Ejemplo: I am often tired (Estoy a menudo cansada)

 

TIME EXPRESSIONS (expresiones de tiempo)

Indican el número de veces que se hace una acción. Ejemplo: ―yo voy al cine una vez a la semana‖

Once                                    a day Twice                                   a week Three times                      a month Four times                           a year 50 times	Una vez                               al día Dos veces                            a la semana Tres veces                         al mes Cuatro veces                        al año 50 veces
Every + day, week, month…	Todos los días, todas las semanas, meses...
In + the morning, afternoon, evening	Por la mañana, por la tarde, por la noche
At night	Por la noche (al acostarse)

 

Se ponen al final de la frase

        Ejemplo: I study French three times a week (yo estudio francés tres veces por semana)

STATIVE VERBS

State verbs refer to states rather tan actions.

These verbs are not used in the present continuous even if they refer to actions which are taking place at the moment of speaking. Common state verbs include:

VERBOS DE ESTADO
Verbs related to senses (Sentidos )	Feel, hear, see, smell, sound, taste
Verbs which express knowledge, opinión and belief (Pensamientos)	Believe, doubt, forget, guess, hope, imagine, know, mean, prefer, realize,  remember, suppose,  think, understand
Verbs which express sentiments and desires (Emociones)	Dislike, hope, like, love, need, want, wish
Verbs which express possession	Belong to, have got, possess, own
Estados	Appear, seem.
Verbs which indicate Price and measurement (Mediciones )	Cost, measure, weigh

 

I understand what you mean / I‘m understanding what you mean

 The baby weighs ten kilos / the baby is weighing ten kilos

NOTE: Some of these verbs may be used in the present continuous when they express a different meaning. When the verb refers to an action rather than a state      What do you think of the new animal protection law?      I’m thinking of applying to university?      This steak tastes delicious      I’m tasting the sauce to see if it needs more salt      I see what you mean      I’m seeing the doctor tomorrow

 

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

Affirmative	I He/ she / it We/ you / they	am / ‘m is / ‘s are / ‘re	learning learning learning
Negative	I He/ she / it We/ you / they	am not / ‘m not is not/ isn’t are not / aren’t	learning learning learning
Interrogative	am (Wh-)      is                  are	I He/ she / it We/ you / they	learning? learning? learning?
Time Expressions: at the moment, now, this weekend, this month, tonight/ tomorrow

 

SPELLING RULES TO ADD –ING
With verbs ending in –e, drop the e and add -ing, except TO BE and TO SEE	Take Ride Be see	Taking Riding Being Seeing
With verbs ending in –ie, change the –ie to –y and and -ing	Lie Die	Lying Dying
Double the ·         Consonant and add –ing with one-syllable verbs ending in one consonant preceded y a vowel ·         Verbs ending in one consonant preceded by one stressed vowel ·         Verbs ending in one vowel and l (BrE)	Run     Begin   Travel	Running     Beginning   Travelling

 

USES

v  For actions which are happening now: The train is entering the station

v  For actions which have started and are still happening: He’s taking driving lessons this year

v  For specific plans for the future: We are going on holiday to Mexico

v  For complaints about repetitive actions: You are always talking in class!